COLUMBUS, OH – The Athens County Grand Jury has indicted former Nelsonville Mayor’s Court Clerk Jessica Mount on three criminal charges following an investigation into the alleged theft of city funds, with the announcement made Tuesday, June 17, 2025, and reported at 11:55 AM EDT on Thursday, June 19, 2025. The charges, filed in Athens County Common Pleas Court, include a felony count of theft in office and misdemeanor counts of soliciting improper compensation and dereliction of duty.
The Auditor of State’s Special Investigations Unit (SIU) launched the probe after receiving a complaint in April 2023 alleging potential misappropriation by Mount, who served as clerk for the Nelsonville Police Department and Mayor’s Court from November 2021 to December 2022. The investigation uncovered receipts for over two dozen cash payments totaling approximately $5,000, signed by Mount but never deposited into a city bank account.
Mount is scheduled for arraignment on July 9. Since 2019, the SIU has contributed to 139 convictions, securing over $13 million in restitution. The unit encourages tips on suspected fraud, which can be submitted anonymously online or via the fraud hotline at 866-FRAUD-OH (866-372-8364).
